Cover for a machine bed

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a cover for a machine bed of a machine tool with covering boxes which can be pushed telescopically one inside another, wherein each covering box comprises a first and a second side wall and a top wall joined to the side walls. On at least one side wall an outwardly projecting catch is arranged for the next largest covering box, provided with a counter catch. The catch is configured in a profiled catch section arranged in a side wall. A shock absorbing element is arranged on the catch, which dampens the impact between the catch and the counter catch. Furthermore, a stop is provided on the profiled catch section, which can be brought into contact with a profiled catch section or a rear wall of the next-largest covering box. The stop serves to dampen the impact between two covering boxes.

CONTINUATION STATEMENT

This application is a 371 of Application PCT/EP96/00779, filed on 26Feb. 1996, which in turn claims foreign priority to German Application195 08 266.4 filed 8 Mar. 1995.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a cover for a machine bed of a machine toolwith covering boxes which can be pushed telescopically one insideanother.

A covering box for covers which can be telescopically lengthened andshortened for slideways on machine tools is known from DE 40 26 609 C1.The covering box has a top wall and two side walls arranged atright-angles to the top wall, which are directly or indirectly connectedto an end wall of the box. The covering box further has catches arrangedon the end wall, above the side walls, projecting outwards, for the nextlargest covering box which has a corresponding counter catch. Each sidewall has a longitudinal notch or a longitudinal slit on its edgeadjacent the end wall, through which the front end of the catch, whichis connected in a removable manner to the end wall in the form of a bar,protrudes. The covering box is made from a one-piece sheet metal blank.The longitudinal notches or longitudinal slits are necessary forattaching the catch, in the form of a bar, to the box.

The manufacturing cost for a covering box of this type with a bar isrelatively high. In order to ensure that the end wall of the box, onwhich the catch is fixed, is not bent by the forces occurring when theboxes are displaced, it is known from DE 40 26 609 to weld the end wallto the side walls. The welding procedure must be carried out verycarefully as distortion of the covering box can result due to the heatcreated during welding. Such distortion of the covering box cannot becompletely ruled out, so subsequent straightening of the covering box isnecessary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Proceeding from this state of the art, the object of the invention is tosimplify the manufacturing of a covering box. This object is solvedaccording to the invention by a covering box for a machine bed of amachine tool with covering boxes which can be pushed one inside another,wherein each covering box comprises a first side wall and a second sidewall and a top wall connected to the side walls, and projecting outwardsfrom a side wall at least one catch for the next largest covering boxprovided with a corresponding counter catch, wherein the catch isconfigured on a profiled catch section arranged on a side wall whereinthe corresponding counter catch is arranged on a side wall of the nextlargest covering box.

The cover according to the invention for a machine bed of a machine toolwith covering boxes which can be pushed telescopically one insideanother is distinguished in that the catch is configured on a profiledcatch section arranged on one side wall of the covering box. Themanufacturing of a covering box, and thereby the cover, is simplified bythis configuration of the covering box. The profiled catch section ispreferably joined to a side wall of the covering box. The joining of thecatch profile to the side wall can be done by screwing. Bores areconfigured in the side wall for this purpose, through which a screw canextend. According to an advantageous further development, it is proposedto provide the profiled catch section of the surface adjacent to theside wall with a T-shaped groove extending in the longitudinal directionof the profiled catch section, open on at least one end face. In theT-shaped groove, the head and the neck of a screw can be accommodated.When the profile section is mounted, the head lies on the covering boxon the shoulders of the T-shaped groove. It is also possible to fit anut into the T-shaped groove instead of the head. The advantage of theT-shaped groove can be seen in that regardless of the position of thebores in the side wall, a connection can be established with theprofiled catch section. The forces affecting the catch duringdisplacement of the covering boxes are transferred to the side wall bythe screwing of the profiled catch section to the side wall. Theconduction of the forces into the side wall has the advantage that nodistortion, or very little distortion of the covering box occurs.

Advantageously, the catch is provided with a shock-absorbing elementwhich is arranged on the surface of the catch. The impact between thecatch and the counter catch of two boxes occurring during displacementis dampened by the shock absorbing element. Furthermore, the noiseoccurring during the impact is reduced. This is particularly importantas such covers act as resonating bodies.

It is proposed to provide the profiled catch section with a groove forreceiving the shock-absorbing element. The groove is preferablyconfigured in the surface of the catch. The configuration of the groovehas the advantage that a simple connection of the shock-absorbingelement to the profiled catch section is produced. Furthermore,replacement of the shock-absorbing element is simple. A shock-absorbingelement made from felt is preferred. Other substances are possible forthe shock-absorbing elements. However, care should be taken that theshock-absorbing elements are not so crushed by the impacts occurringthat they lose their shock-absorbing effect.

To further simplify the manufacturing of a covering box it is proposedto connect the rear wall of the covering box to the profiled catchsection. The rear wall can be configured as a separate piece. Theconnection of the rear wall to the profiled catch section can be done byscrewing or the like. It is proposed in this respect to the profiledcatch section in the surface adjacent to the rear wall, with a T-shapedgroove, open at at least one end face, extending in the longitudinaldirection of the profiled catch section.

When the covering boxes of the cover are pushed one inside another, theprofile section of one box comes into contact with the profile sectionor the rear wall of the next-largest box. To avoid the impact and thenoise associated with it when the covering boxes are pushed together, itis proposed to arrange at least one stop on the profiled catch section,wherein the stop can be brought into contact with a profiled catchsection or a rear wall of the next-largest covering box. The stop can bemade from felt, like the shock-absorbing element. The stop per sedampens the impact between two covering boxes which have been pushed oneinside another. Furthermore, the noise occurring when two boxes arepushed together is reduced by the stop. The stop can be a stop profilewhich engages in a stop groove configured in the profiled catch section.The stop groove can be T-shaped or a swallow-tail shape.

The profiled catch section can be prepared to the extent that it isalready provided with a shock-absorbing element and a stop. If thecovering box is to include a rear wall, these individual parts can beprepared together with the profiled catch section as an integralstructure, and then joined to the covering box. In this way the assemblytime for a covering box is reduced. The counter-catch is preferably astrip arranged on a side wall. The strip is preferably made from brass.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the covering according to theinvention will be explained with reference to the embodiments shown inthe drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a cover.

FIG. 2 is a first embodiment of a covering box in cross-section.

FIG. 3 is a second embodiment of a covering box in cross-section.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of a profile section with a channel.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section of a second embodiment of a channelconfigured in the profile section.

It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate onlytypical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to beconsidered limiting of its scope, as the invention may admit to otherequally effective embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a cover 1 in perspective. The cover 1includes covering boxes 2, 3, 4 which can be pushed telescopically oneinside another. Each covering box 2, 3, 4 has a first and a second sidewall 5, 6. A top wall 7, configured in the manner of a pitched roof, isconnected to the side walls 5, 6. The side walls 5, 6 and the top wall 7are made from a sheet-metal blank.

A profiled catch section 32 is arranged on the side wall 5. The profiledcatch section 32 is provided with an outward projecting catch 30 for thenext largest box 4 provided with a counter catch 31. A profiled catchsection 32 is arranged on each side wall 5, 6 of a covering box 2, 3 and4. As can been seen in FIG. 1, the profiled catch section 32 isconnected to a rear wall 38.

A shock-absorbing element 34 is arranged on the catch surface 33 of thecatch 30. The shock-absorbing element 34 is inserted into a groove 35configured in the profiled catch section 32. As can be seen in FIGS. 1and 2, the counter catch 31 lies on the shock-absorbing element when thecovering boxes 2, 3, 4 are pulled apart from one another. The countercatch 31 is connected to the side wall 5 of the next-largest coveringbox by means of a screw 43. The counter catch 31 can also be connectedby means of a rivet instead of a screw 43. The counter catch 31 isconfigured in the form of a strip.

Each profile section 32 is connected to the side wall 5 by means ofscrews 44. The screw is screwed into a nut 45, which is arranged in aT-shaped groove 40. The T-shaped groove 40 is configured in surface ofthe profiled catch section 32 lying on the side wall 5.

If the covering boxes are pushed one inside another, a stop 41 lies onthe rear wall 38 of the next-largest covering box. The stop 41 isarranged in a stop groove 42. The stop groove 42 extends in thelongitudinal direction of the profiled catch section 32.

A second embodiment of a covering box is shown in FIG. 3. The profiledcatch section 32 arranged on the side wall differs from the profiledcatch section shown in FIG. 2 in that it is not provided a groove for ashock-absorbing element 34. The shock-absorbing element 34 is arrangedon the side wall 5 by means of a screw 44.

We now return to FIG. 1. A profile section 8 is attached directly belowthe top wall 7.

The profile section 8 is connected to the top wall 7 by means of fixingmeans 10. The fixing means 10 are screws. A slider 11 is arranged on theupper side of the top wall 7. The underside of the top wall 7 of thenext-largest covering box slides on the sliders 11. The sliders 11 arearranged at a distance apart from one another. They each extend overonly a part of the width of the top wall 7, so that a fluid scraped offof the upper side of the top wall 7 can flow between the sliders 11 intothe open channel 9. The sliders 11 can be made, for example, from brass,bronze or plastics. The sliders 11 are connected to the top wall 7 andthe profile section 8 by means of the fixing means 10.

The top wall 7 is provided with brackets which are provided with boresthrough which the fixing means 11 extend. The free space around thebrackets is connected to the open first channel 9.

The open first channel 9 is configured in the profile section 8. Thefirst channel 9 is provided with a substantially rectangular intakesection 12 which opens out into a collection channel 13. As can be seenin FIGS. 1 and 4, external threads are configured in the intake area 12into which the screws are screwed.

A gasket 14 is arranged between the underside of the top wall 7 and theprofile 8, which is inserted into a groove 15. The groove 15 isconfigured in the profile section 8.

A scraper 16 is arranged following the first open channel 9, which lieson the underside of the top wall 7 of the next-largest covering box 2,3, 4. The profile section is provided with a second channel 17, whereinthe scraper 16 is arranged between the first channel 9 and the secondchannel 17.

A scraper 18 is provided on the end of the top wall 7 opposite theprofile section 8, which scraper slides on the upper side of the topwall 7 of the next-smallest covering box, and scrapes off the fluidand/or shavings found there.

A groove 19 is configured in the profile section 8, in which screws 20are screwed. The screws 20 hold a rear wall 21, 38 onto the profilesection 8. Instead of the groove 19, separate bores for screws 20 can beprovided in the profile 8.

While the particular embodiments for a cover as herein shown anddisclosed in detail are fully capable of obtaining the objects andadvantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that they aremerely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of theinvention and that no limitations are intended by the details ofconstruction or design herein shown other than as described in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cover for a machine bed of a machine tool, saidcover comprising a plurality of covering boxes which can be pushed oneinside another, wherein each covering box comprises:first and secondside walls; a top wall connected to said first and second side walls; atleast one catch which projects outwards from a side wall for catching anext largest covering box, wherein said at least one catch is configuredon a profiled catch section arranged on a side wall, wherein said atleast one catch comprises a catch surface on which a shock-absorbingelement is arranged, wherein the profiled catch section comprises a sidewall engagement surface, wherein the side wall engagement surface has aT-shaped groove which extends in a longitudinal direction of theprofiled catch section, wherein the T-shaped groove is open to at leastone end face of the profiled catch section; a counter catch whichcorresponds to said at least one catch, wherein the correspondingcounter catch is arranged on a side wall of the next largest coveringbox; a rear wall which extends between said first and second side walls,wherein the rear wall is joined to the profiled catch section; and atleast one stop arranged on the profiled catch section, wherein the stopcan be brought into contact with a profiled catch section of thenext-largest covering box.
 2. A cover according to claim 1, wherein theprofiled catch section comprises a groove for receiving theshock-absorbing element.
 3. A cover according to claim 1, wherein theshock-absorbing element extends over the entire catch surface.
 4. Acover according to claim 1, wherein the shock-absorbing elementcomprises felt.
 5. A cover according to claim 1, wherein the stop isarranged in a stop groove configured in the profiled catch section.
 6. Acover for a machine bed of a machine tool, said cover comprising aplurality of covering boxes which can be pushed one inside another,wherein each covering box comprises:first and second side walls; a topwall connected to said first and second side walls; at least one catchwhich projects outwards from a side wall for catching a next largestcovering box, wherein said at least one catch is configured on aprofiled catch section arranged on a side wall; and a counter catchwhich corresponds to said at least one catch, wherein the correspondingcounter catch is arranged on a side wall of the next largest coveringbox, wherein the profiled catch section comprises a surface for lying ona side wall, wherein the surface for lying on a side wall has a T-shapedgroove which extends in a longitudinal direction of the profiled catchsection, wherein the T-shaped groove is open to at least one end face ofthe profiled catch section.
 7. A cover according to claim 6, whereinsaid at least one catch comprises a catch surface on which ashock-absorbing element is arranged.
 8. A cover for a machine bed of amachine tool, said cover comprising a plurality of covering boxes whichcan be pushed one inside another, wherein each covering boxcomprises:first and second side walls; a top wall connected to saidfirst and second side walls; at least one catch which projects outwardsfrom a side wall for catching a next largest covering box, wherein saidat least one catch is configured on a profiled catch section arranged ona side wall; and a counter catch which corresponds to said at least onecatch, wherein the corresponding counter catch is arranged on a sidewall of the next largest covering box, wherein each covering box of saidplurality of covering boxes further comprises a rear wall which extendsbetween the side walls, wherein the rear wall is joined to the profiledcatch section, wherein the profiled catch section comprises a surfacefor lying against the rear wall, wherein the surface for lying againstthe rear wall has at least one T-shaped groove which extends in alongitudinal direction of the profiled catch section, wherein the atleast one T-shaped groove is open to at least one end face of theprofiled catch section.
 9. A cover according to claim 6, furthercomprising at least one stop arranged on the profiled catch section,wherein the stop can be brought into contact with a profiled catchsection of the next-largest covering box.
 10. A cover according to claim9, wherein the stop is arranged in a stop groove configured in theprofiled catch section.
 11. A cover according to claim 6, furthercomprising at least one stop arranged on the profiled catch section,wherein the stop can be brought into contact with a rear wall of thenext-largest covering box.
 12. A cover according to claim 11, whereinthe stop is arranged in a stop groove configured in the profiled catchsection.
 13. A cover according to claim 7, wherein the shock-absorbingelement comprises felt.
 14. A cover according to claim 7, wherein theprofiled catch section comprises a groove for receiving theshock-absorbing element.
 15. A cover according to claim 7, wherein theshock-absorbing element extends over the entire catch surface.